Trees blurred past her as she ran, branches she blasted through scratched the stumps where her wings used to be. The dark forest seemed to go on forever, she swore she had run for hours but each time she even considered stopping an ominous feeling would envelop her and force her to continue. She didn't dare turn around, doing so would slow her down and allow her pursuer to catch up.

She couldn't hear anything besides the noises made by her but she knew he was behind her, closing in on her step by step.

A thick tree branch caught her foot and sent her tumbling. Her panic and desperation made her unable to recover or even register what was going on with the world spinning as she rolled down the slope she was on. Her body broke out the treeline and rolled into a clearing illuminated by moonlight.

Lust laid there for a moment, everything that had happened over the last six months washed over her. She felt small, trapped, and above all, hopeless. It never occurred to her that she would once again feel how Rin once did those years ago, to be laying in the dirt, unwilling to get up and continue her flight to freedom.

Gluttony had stood and fought, when their fight or flight response hit the two of them, Gluttony rose to the challenge while she ran. In the back of her mind, she knew that he would've wanted her to do that, but at the forefront of her mind was overwhelming fear. It allowed her to run as fast as she could and fly as far as she could. She had flown for 3 full days before she thought it safe to set down.

As soon as her talons touched the ground, she felt her wings being severed from her. She screamed as she started running all over again. Despite all the fear that consumed her, in her heart, she knew that it was completely pointless.

He will catch her.

Her panicked breathing and desperation distracted her as she ran but now that she had stopped, that single thought echoed in her mind. She heard his footsteps come closer to her as she curled into a ball to make herself smaller. The footsteps stopped next to her and only the sound of the forest around her and her pursuer could be heard.

The tip of something sharp barely glided on her skin as she curled in on herself even more, a useless gesture to protect herself. The tip got under her chin and she felt her head being gently yet firmly pushed up. Her eyes stayed low, remaining focused on the length of the blade rather than meeting the eyes of her pursuer.

The blade raised itself more and barely broke the skin at the base of her throat causing a drop of blood to form. When it became clear she wouldn't look at him, the blade drew back. Before she could even form a thought of relief, it surged forward and stabbed her in the chest. It slid in with no resistance and for some reason the pain felt far away. It hurt of course but she had retreated to a deeper corner of her mind and wholly submitted to the submissive state this body had perfected.

Her body was lifted off the ground, held suspended in midair by the blade sticking through her chest. Blood dripped down the blade as black dust also leaked from her wound. Her pursuer stared dispassionately at his caught prey, unbothered by the weight of her body at the end of his blade.

It hadn't been difficult to catch up to her, her only talent was the ability to fly and that made it all the easier to see her in a cloudless sky. She wasn't anywhere near as fast as he was and what damned her the most was that he could feel where she was. He had a sense of where she was and what emotions that went rampant inside her, being able to focus on those thoughts made this a trivial game of cat and mouse.

Now that he had caught her, he was curious if she'd try to fight him off but she had simply submitted to him the same way Rin had done during her life. He supposed he should've been disappointed that after killing someone close to her, she'd step up to get revenge but all she did was run. Even now, when she finally realized there was no outrunning him, she had submitted to him, putting her life completely in his hands.

'How human of her…'

Rahim's eyes turned red and watched as the black dust that fell from her wound began to flow out of her body and into his katana. The silver glinting blade turned dark as if one was looking at the empty void of nothing. Which in Lust's case was quite accurate as he could feel the last of her soul leave Rin's body.

He threw the empty corpse off his blade and held up his weapon. In its black void, he could feel her sinking into darkness, her last ditch effort to escape had completely drained her struggles and she could only sink into the depths she found herself in. His blade slowly turned back into its original silver color before he placed it back in the sheathe in his off hand.

Rahim stood in the clearing, his mind blank as he stared at nothing in particular. There was no elation or sense of accomplishment for finally dealing with Lust. Hell, he didn't even have any regret for doing so either, he knew that all it meant was he had a new target. His mind had thought of nothing else save for Lust, from where she had gone and what he could expect when he caught up to her. She was his entire world and now that she was gone, his world was empty.

A rustling of bushes behind him signaled Talib's arrival as the alchemist stepped into the clearing and noticed the nearby corpse. From here he could easily tell that her body had been sucked dry of its soul and it was nothing more than fertilizer. The two of them had been together for some time now since the boy had returned.

Rahim had gone back to his empty subservient persona with absolutely no opinions or concerns about what he was doing. Talib was curious of course what caused this change of heart from Arendelle and attempted to invade the boy's soul but he was instantly repelled. Try as he might, he could not listen to Rahim's thoughts or have an inkling of what he felt. He even lost his failsafe of the black dust embedded in the avenger's skin as the boy returned in the same state as when he left Blackdust for the first time.

In conclusion, Talib had no way of controlling Rahim.

That simple fact had Talib studying the boy closely

The invasion of Arendelle had been months ago and he barely came to them a few days ago. What had happened between the invasion and now? The alchemist was beyond curious for an answer and he knew Rahim wouldn't tell him, the boy hadn't spoken a word to him the entire time they've been traveling together.

That made him want to ask Father, but he had also been silent since Rahim had appeared before them. Talib did not fear Rahim, but the avenger's actions when he came to them remained fresh in his mind.

They had returned to the cave that had served as their home after the failed invasion of Arendelle. Talib instantly went to his workshop that he had set up deep in the cave system while Gluttony, Greed, and Lust were left to their own devices. The three of them were extremely drained from their struggle in Arendelle and would need time to recover.

Due to their failure, it was logical they'd wait until Father returned so that they wouldn't jeopardize his strategy. It was months before someone had arrived. They assembled to greet their Father but were surprised to find Rahim had found his way to their home. The avenger was instantly met with hostility and was about to be attacked before everyone save Rahim had an overwhelming force crush their bodies and souls.

"That is no way to treat a guest."

Father's voice boomed in all of their souls, never before had they ever been communicated with in such a fashion. They could feel all the power he possessed and the absolute authority he had over them. It lasted only for a second but that second was enough for them to fall to their knees exhausted.

Rahim paid them no mind as he strolled past the lot of them and went deep into the cave. Talib was the first to recover and followed after the boy, mildly curious in what had changed. He expected the boy to make some kind of ridiculous proclamation that he had hunted them down and would destroy them to protect Arendelle, yet when Talib looked into his eyes, there was nothing.

No Wrath, no fear, absolutely nothing.

The alchemist attempted to look into his soul but found it to be a complete void. That was not what he expected, even when Rahim as a child had killed off anything holding him back from being as effective as he could be, there was still something inside his eyes. Perhaps, Rahim had found a way to block him from looking into his soul and only showed what he allowed to be seen. That would suggest a level of power that far surpassed his which was highly unlikely.

Nevertheless, Talib got to his feet and followed after the boy. He had come here for a reason after all. The alchemist noted that Rahim had moved as if he knew exactly how the caves were laid out as he descended deep into the cave. He finally reached his destination, Greed's living quarters.

Talib was mildly curious about what Rahim could possibly want here when they had just seen Greed not five minutes ago. The avenger strode into the room and headed straight for his prize, the katana that the Avaricious Sin had carried back from Arendelle. The alchemist scoffed, of course the boy would return for his stupid trinket, it was the one thing he cared for in this world and he held it in such high regard for a hunk of metal. The alchemist took in the pathetic sight of the boy drawing the weapon and inspecting it, no doubt to bask in its 'elegance'.

He watched Rahim's eyes taking in every detail of the blade until his eyes stopped and focused in on one spot. Talib narrowed his eyes and was about to ask what was the problem now, when the boy strode right past him with his sword still drawn. The alchemist scoffed once more and turned to return to his workshop, he had more important matters to attend to.

Follow him.

Talib felt a chill go down his back as Father's voice breezed through his body like a cold draft, leaving his inside completely frozen and stiff. He didn't know if his mind had made his body move or his body moved independently of his mind as he found himself a few paces behind the avenger.

They quickly ended up back at the entrance of the cave where they could see the other Sins still hanging about. Rahim strided up to Greed and silently locked eyes with the man. The Avaricious looked annoyed by the empty stare accompanied by the silence. He was about to address Talib when the silent man spoke.

"My blade is chipped, were you the one who did it?"He asked in a monotone tone, there was no undercurrent of emotion in his words, just an inquiry that could've been about anything.

Greed looked ready to respond with a childish jab that the boy was acting like someone damaged his favorite toy. When he spoke his insult, it came out in a breathless gurgle that was impossible to understand. His ears registered the gibberish that came out of his mouth but it wasn't until he tried to swallow did he realize something was obstructing his airway and keeping him from speaking or breathing.

The next thought that crossed his mind was that he was still staring into Rahim's eyes. The ones that were completely empty and void of anything remotely alive. When he broke eye contact did he see the chipped blade lodged in his throat. His eyes widened as the reality of what happened had sunk in and his gaze shot up to meet Rahim's once again. He blinked and found his head on the ground with his body falling to the side.

When did he…

Greed's eyes went to Rahim who was not staring at him anymore but rather the small chip in his weapon. The Avaricious Sin grinded his teeth as he slowly mended himself and struggled back to his feet. Glaring at the boy, he whipped out his daggers. He had heard Father call Rahim a guest and expected to feel that all consuming pressure on his shoulders but to his surprise he felt nothing. He glanced at Talib for any kind of warning but found the alchemist looking…confused?

That wasn't a typical expression of the limited ones Talib usually displayed, he looked as if he couldn't comprehend what he had just seen.

With a quick glance, he saw the same expressions on Lust and Gluttony's faces, they looked utterly confused as well. He didn't know why they were surprised, Wrath was known for his speed, he just hadn't paid close enough attention the first time. He would not make the same mistake twice.

This was his chance, Father had stopped interfering and Talib didn't seem to want to do the same. He had lost in Arendelle and thought that would be it but his prey had come on his own to their stronghold. There was nowhere to go on this mountain and it seemed that he had no intention of running anyway.

Preparing to spring into action, he locked eyes with his opponent promising death but his next coherent thought was him realizing that he was on his back staring at the cave ceiling. Blinking a few times, he tried to sit up when he realized that he couldn't feel his legs. Looking down his body, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his lower half on its knees with the top half gone.

"I remember…"

Rahim's voice reached his ears from behind him, but his eyes were still stuck on his lower half. Wrath was fast but he wasn't that fast. To be able to stab his throat, decapitate him, and bisect him at the waist all without him seeing it happen was impossible.

"You were made from Ian Cavaliere's corpse. He attacked me without thinking too and ended up like that. He used to be efficient in knowing how to force people to cooperate, that requires an aptitude in understanding what's important to someone."

Greed turned over to see Rahim staring once again at the small chip on his blade. Despite his nonchalant attitude, the Avaricious knew Rahim must be furious that his prized katana had been damaged. Thus this was his way of getting even with the one he presumably thought damaged it.

What a stupid and childish reason, it's a hunk of metal! An inanimate object that had no thoughts or feelings or real value. It was just a weapon that paled in comparison to the weapons the Sins were all on their own.

Rolling over and lifting himself up the best he could. "So what, are you saying that that piece of junk is important to you?! It's a redundant toy! A trinket that a little boy needed to tell himself he was strong enough to get revenge on mommy's killer!"

Rahim's eyes slid over to Greed's once again and when the bald man could see the empty twin black voids, he expected another wound. To his surprise no such wound came, Rahim had walked over and squatted so that they were as close as eye level as possible. The gateways to a soulless nothing had become larger and drew him in.

He felt himself falling, blackness enveloping anything and everything around him. Surrounded by the darkness, it made his thoughts more prominent. Memories of his life before becoming a Sin flashed through his mind. Strong memories of meeting his wife for the first time, joining the Mystic Guard, his daughter being born, all the things important to Ian. The feelings that accompanied all of those things burned brightly inside him, keeping him warm in the blackness.

"How human of you."

Greed felt his body lurch as the memories all became muffled. They started to blur as they were sucked into the darkness. It was as if he had been forcefully pulled from them, the warmth that accompanied those memories disappeared with them and left him cold and alone.

His only instinct was to try and get back those memories, the only ties he had left to his old life. He thought he was running forward but there was nothing but black emptiness, there was no way to tell what he was doing. Only his thoughts remained in this space and all they could think of was trying to get back the memories he had lost.

Yet there was nothing he could do, except disappear in the darkness.

Lust, Gluttony, and Talib had watched Rahim and Greed continue to stare at one another in silence. They had seen everything that had happened in the last few moments and they couldn't get out of their mind what they saw.

When Rahim had first asked if Greed had damaged his blade, the Avaricious looked like he was about to insult the boy but he stopped cold the moment they met eyes. It wasn't that he feared or was stunned by something the avenger did, he just froze. Like someone had frozen time for him, he was completely motionless, his lips about to part to voice his retort.

Rahim had raised his katana lazily, aiming the tip at the Sin's throat and with doctor-like precision, slid it inside his target's throat. Greed did not react in the slightest to the blade tearing through the muscles in his neck. There was no way that Greed wouldn't feel the blade going through his throat at such a slow pace. Panic should set in or he should have some kind of resistance but nothing. There wasn't even any blood, it looked like some kind of magic trick but when Greed suddenly started to move they realized it wasn't.

They saw him act accordingly to having a blade in his throat and before he could bring his hands up from his sides, he froze once again. Rahim pulled his katana out the Sin's throat before placing it on one side of his neck then casually decapitated the Avaricious Sin. Like before, Greed didn't initially react to his head leaving his shoulders until his body hit the ground.

Lust and Gluttony were both too disturbed by the sight of Greed allowing himself to be butchered to try and figure out what was happening. Talib on the other hand, was curious. Father had told him to follow Rahim which led to him seeing this so it stood to reason that Father wanted the alchemist to see this.

Was Father sending him a warning that this would be his fate should he fail again, by assisting Rahim in making an example of Greed? Talib ruled that out, despite the ominous sight, this wasn't something that would force a sense of fear onto the alchemist. He had been killed in far worse ways than having his head cut off. He already knew that Father also could control them, so freezing Greed wasn't anything surprising.

What made it so curious was that he didn't feel Father's presence at all, facing toward Rahim, he felt nothing. Like there was a vacuum in front of him that sucked in everything. It was vastly different from the fool he had met in Arendelle who broke his glasses. Back then, there were conflicting emotions and thoughts raging inside Wrath.

Even then, he could feel Rahim, the subtle undercurrent that nudged and flowed with each clash of emotions. That was the boy's true nature. He was quiet and unnoticeable until he burned brightly in those very few moments his rage got the best of him. After beating all the weakness out of him, Rahim was efficient. He would however, always remain a boy as long as kept his petty attachments, both to that katana and to avenging his mother. Nonetheless, he was a useful tool that Talib grudgingly admitted he was embarrassed he overlooked such a tool for so long.

He was a perfect vessel for Wrath, one could say born for it.

Yet now, he seemed completely unfit for one of the seven Sins.

When Rahim spoke, Talib thought that perhaps the boy was concealing his emotions to seem like an empty void. That underneath that emptiness was rage for someone damaging his weapon. His actions alluded to that being the case but it was just off putting how he carried himself. Like he was a puppet pretending to express his emotions with actions and not words.

Greed had then lost his lower half and looked up at Rahim who then started their staring contest. The alchemist expected the boy to just finish off the Sin immediately but taking his time to hold his gaze seemed pointless.

"How human of you."

Rahim rose to his feet before stabbing Greed in the chest and lifting the bald man off the ground. Unlike before where there was no blood or black dust, a steady stream of both flowed along the blade. Greed's face was stuck in his previous expression as more of his essence flowed from his wound but it did not touch the floor. Rahim's eyes turned from their void black to red as the blood turned into black dust and flowed into the blade. The blade's silver coat had turned to an outlined shape of absent light, like they could recognize its shape but could only see all consuming darkness.

The boy studied his blade, seemingly locking onto something in the abyss. Talib focused on the blade as well, that brief flash of red in Rahim's eyes allowed him to feel the first hint of anything from the boy.

Surprisingly, it didn't come from his body, it came from the katana. He caught it for that brief moment before it was snuffed out. That subtle undercurrent of Rahim's soul. Somehow, from what Talib could tell, Rahim's soul wasn't in his body, instead it was in his weapon.

Talib wanted to deny it, there was no way that Rahim knew how to bind his soul to an object. Even if he did, he didn't have access to that object. Slo-Mary had given it to Greed who carried it here before Rahim could have the chance.

Perhaps Mary had done something…

His thoughts were interrupted when Rahim turned to face both Gluttony and Lust. Immediately Lust froze, her confused expression that was underlined by fear stopped upon meeting his gaze. It looked like the same thing that had befell Greed had befallen her. Rahim took a step in her direction when Gluttony grabbed her and pushed her behind him.

"Not another step, I don't know what you did, but keep coming and I'll give that thing more than a chip."

Rahim halted before staring at Gluttony, the two of them making eye contact. The Voracious Sin did not shy away or back down from the empty stare he got, instead he remained ready to follow through on his threat.

"You aren't affected, it seems that you've discarded the ties to the soul that inhabited your body previously…" Gluttony narrowed his eyes.

"...but she hasn't."

The boy took a step forward and Gluttony charged.

Talib had thought back to that day multiple times, Rahim had easily defeated Gluttony. Even after the Voracious Sin had taken on his true form and fought with all he could muster, it barely slowed Rahim down. Gluttony's resistance to Rahim's new abilities was an unknown variable that was the main reason it took longer, but the result was the same. He was trapped in the blade but it did buy time for Lust to escape and get a good head start. The alchemist expected to be next on the boy's list but he just looked off into the distance after Lust.

It was then that Father spoke and ordered that he accompany Rahim to wherever he wished. Lust had crossed several kingdoms quickly due to the panic and desperation. Had either of them needed to rest or eat, catching up to her would've taken time. Usually Talib wouldn't have traveled nonstop, even if his body didn't necessarily require food or rest, it taxed his efforts to maintain his body.

Rahim should've felt the same, in fact, he should be expending more stamina manipulating his body if it was a soulless puppet. Over time, Talib was able to get a sense of what Rahim was as of now.

He was a void.

An empty space that sucked in whatever he wanted in an attempt to fill that space. The katana had somehow become the anchor for his soul, which allowed him to construct a version of his body. A version free of any scarring or imperfection the original one had. This made fighting him somewhat pointless as his body was just a projection and any injury he sustained would only disrupt that projection.

His katana though, which housed the void that was now his soul, was his only link to this mortal plane. In theory if someone had destroyed it then Rahim's soul could not stay here. Talib almost labeled it as a weakness until he realized the gravity of what the boy was holding. The blade acted essentially as a gate to Rahim's soul.

Sure it was small and was only connected to his soul but Rahim had achieved something that Talib and Father couldn't for decades. Talib was endlessly curious and wanted to know how he had done it but Rahim said nothing. He had thought that maybe Father told him to follow Rahim to find out how this was possible and if it could be applied to his pillar project the Blackdust version of himself had been working on.

He could physically build the pillars but he still had no way to open the gate that would connect to Father's soul. His hope was that by studying how the few glimpses he got into Rahim's soul, he'd be able to replicate a functioning gate. Preferably one of small size to ensure it worked, then apply to his project and finally begin their ultimate goal.

Talib turned to Rahim who was still staring at absolutely nothing. Now that Lust had been dealt with, only Wrath and Pride remained walking around freely. The alchemist did not understand why the boy was going after the other Sins, but if he kept his pattern then he'd either head to Blackdust for Pride or perhaps Arendelle for Wrath.

The alchemist had reasonable suspicion that Pride remained in Blackdust ever since he had woken up from that trance he was put under. He honestly didn't expect his efforts to be lasting, Shahbaz was always rebellious, no matter how much they tried, forcing his cooperation was a futile battle. That being said, his rampage throughout their forces holdouts were actually to their benefit. With each battle he won, the stronger he would become.

Which would be fortunate when Father took over his body and soul when he'd return to his plane.

Shahbaz could only disobey Father due to the interference and distance between their two souls but once they occupy the same space, he'd be no match for the Patriarch of Sins. It didn't matter how powerful Shahbaz had become, the simple fact was as long as he held on to Pride, he would always be a tool. Even when he defeated Pride and devoured the Sin, he was still bound to the anchor that holds Pride. That anchor made him an extension of Father's soul and as such, he would not be able to resist.

Now he wasn't sure that his efforts lasted even now, Pride had yet to return with his research, but it didn't change the fact that if Rahim chose to hunt him down, he'd be killed. Talib could not admit that Rahim had grown far more than he anticipated but Pride was a far stronger opponent then any of the others. Shahbaz as a human was stronger than any warrior in Blackdust's history, Pride was the strongest of all the Sins, and all of them recognized him as their superior.

Except Wrath who was mindless.

That didn't change the fact that as humans, Shahbaz was leagues above his younger brother, and as Sins, the same could be said for Pride. Talib knew that Rahim was now emotionless and empty but he was still logical. The way he fought Gluttony proved that he analyzed and assessed many factors and did not make decisions based on emotion. He would realize that fighting Pride would be suicide and would turn his attention toward Arendelle where Wrath was most likely to be.

Rahim seemed to have made up his mind as he turned toward a different direction.

You will not interfere.

Talib briefly allowed his mind to ask if Father had lost his. To question the Patriarch used to be unfathomable, something that was met with complete subjugation. However Talib could not stop himself.

"Rahim I can't allow you to go after Pride, you are far too valuable."

The boy turned to acknowledge Talib with his empty stare.

"Valuable to who? Abraham or your sense of worth to him?" Talib couldn't get a word out before wings made of black dust unfurled from his back, the same wings he had just cut off Lust a while ago. It took one flap and a bend of his knees and he was gone, leaving the alchemist alone.

That was something else that weighed heavily on his mind.

Rahim was able to access the souls of the ones in his void, to use their abilities as he saw fit once he understood how to use them.

The reason they had been able to cross great distances after Lust was the fact that Rahim had used Greed's displacement ability. It took him several days to perfect it but he had done it the moment he felt the Lascivious Sin touch down. Now he had her abilities to add to his growing arsenal which he planned to use on Father knows what.

"Father, we cannot allow him to face Pride. There is no guarantee the modifications still hold and if they don't then it is highly unlikely that Rahim will survive."

You will not interfere.

He knew he should stop, that was the second time he was told the same order but he couldn't. His only desire was to be of service to Father, despite the conflicting nature that came from the Patriarch's orders he followed them thinking that he could compensate and adapt to any problem. Arendelle had been a failure that could be attributed solely to him as he was there and allowed himself to be defeated by that welp of an Ice Elemental.

Rahim was right, he was too valuable to prove that Talib could still be of service.

"All my work will have been for nothing if I can't learn how he was able to create a path onto the plane that currently holds you captive. Even if he's somehow able to defeat Pride, if I can't get your body back then you will have lost one strong enough to hold you. There is too much at stake to-"

Talib's body crumpled to the ground as every nerve in his body shut down and he could feel the souls that constituted his body trembled.

All this time, you've yet to succeed in any of the tasks I've given you. All your work and effort has produced nothing. You and your other pieces have been absolutely useless to me. Can you imagine how…embarrassing it is to know that my first successful creation is an absolute failure? The only thing you as a collective achieved was spawning two boys who have already done more for me than any of you.

Father's voice was soft but the debilitating terror that every soul inside him felt was deafening. It felt as if his own blood wanted to explode out of his body to get away from Father's displeasure but the pressure on his body kept them rooted.

Now you will follow after and not interfere. Very soon, matters will become clear, now try to live up to your namesake and Do. Not. Question. Me. Again.

All at once Father's hold on him disappeared and Talib was able to take in a shuddering breath. He tried moving his arms to prop himself up but found that his body refused to move. The souls that animated his body were all in disarray and he was having a hard time focusing them thanks to the state of his own mind.

His mind warred against itself, one side admonishing him for questioning Father while the other one arguing that he had no choice but to do so to help his Father. At the moment, Talib didn't care which one was right. He needed to gather himself and do what he was told but this time was much harder to do so.

Father's words kept breaking his concentration.

He knew that all he should do is obey but his logical mind refused to stop pointing out the potentially disastrous results Father's actions could cause. All because of those two boys that were born from his lesser part.

Talib knew well enough that he would not be moving for a while so he retreated into his mind. Recalling his very first memory that became the catalyst of his dedication to his Father. The one series of images that made him feel something.

Hey guys I finally got out the Army and am moving on with the next step in my life. Hope yall are doing well and like this update. I apologize for the late update, i've had a lot going on and I'm trying to do better.